Having initially launched nine years ago, by now you’ve heard about Adobe’s fast-growing Creative Cloud, you’ve dispelled the common myths about it, and perhaps are considering sub­scribing to CC now that over 18 million of your colleagues already have…

You may also know that since Adobe stopped development of the older “CS” releases back in 2012, there have been thousands of new product features, enhancements, and perform­ance improve­ments added to CC since Creative Suite ended, as well as integral new online services.

But did you know that no matter what you do, you can sign up right now for a zero-cost class of membership that never expires and provides free benefits for life?  Anyone can have this free level currently in 83 countries worldwide, even if you still use the older tools instead, or even if you use no other Adobe products or services at all.

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For decades now, Adobe has provided industry-standard standalone installers for their creative products, for many valid reasons… Recent examples include the company publicly posting the direct download links for the CC 2019 and CC 2018 releases. In our view, the need is strong and they should continue to do the same going forward.

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Every year, Adobe’s creative product launches seem to get bigger – and this year is no exception… This morning, with over 500,000 people attending the first-ever all-virtual (and completely free!) MAX conference, Adobe rolled out the new CC 2021 Release, which has to be the largest product rollout since they first introduced Creative Cloud over eight years ago.

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OK, so your old computer is running out of gas, you’re upgrading or changing systems, adding a new machine, or switching from a PC to a Mac, or vice versa — and you want to move over your copy of CC/Creative Cloud or CS6 (or CS5 or CS4) Adobe software — what do you do, and how do you do it? Just follow our complete guide below, which also works for other Adobe desktop products such as Acrobat, Elements, Lightroom, Captivate, and more.

As we’ve covered previously here, you are generally allowed to install and activate most Adobe software on up to two computers, with the restriction that the software can not used on both systems at the same time. So right off the bat, you might be good to go with installing the software on a second computer, although you may wish to double-check the licensing agreement for your product to be sure.

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This is one of the most common questions we get, and the answer may pleasantly surprise you…  The place to look to find the answer is the Software License Agreement, also called the terms of use or EULA. This agreement governs the use of your Adobe product, and is translated into 28 languages within each document. It also covers some basics about product activation.

So, in general, how many systems can you install Adobe software on, including the Creative Cloud (CC) and CS6?  The answer for individuals (as opposed to businesses) in most cases is two.  The catch is that both computers must be used only by you and the two systems cannot be used at the same time. This policy was designed so that you could run Creative Cloud (or Creative Suite) at home on your desktop PC, as well as while traveling with your laptop or tablet PC. But the types of computers and their usage has blurred so much now that you can just pick any two systems you own and the product should install and properly activate on both…

For example, here is the key text from the Terms of Use for CC Software:

1.1 Use of Software: Subscription-Based License. Your subscription lets you activate the Software on up to two devices (or virtual machines) at a time, however, you may not use the Software on the two devices simultaneously.

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Here’s an insider tip on how to save 5-6% on most Creative Cloud subscriptions… This includes the top “All Apps” membership, as well as almost all Single-App subscriptions – and it always works in most countries, with no coupon or promo code needed and no expiration date.

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Sometimes even despite using Adobe’s free trial downloads to try out the software before buying, customers may wish to return an Adobe product or exchange for something different instead – say swapping the CC Photography bundle or returning an individual CC tool and getting the 2020 “All Apps” plan instead (which includes 22 applications instead of one).

In which case, did you know that Adobe offers a full money-back guarantee on almost all current products? This includes Creative Cloud (CC), Acrobat, Captivate, Photoshop Elements, and so on. This offer applies even after you’ve already downloaded and installed the product on your computer(s). However, only software bought directly from Adobe.com worldwide can take advantage of this refund policy (not purchases from resellers or retailers, and never auction sites).

Yes, it’s true – simply contact Adobe within 30 days of your order for non-subscription products – via live online chat is usually fast and convenient. Then, just follow the correct procedure and they will take it back (after being uninstalled and deactivated from your computers, if applicable) and issue you a complete refund.

For subscription plans, it’s even easier – in most cases, you can simply change or cancel your plan online yourself (for any reason) within 14 days of your initial order, without needing to contact Adobe. Refunds are typically processed within about a week.

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Knowing how to make a good selection is one of the most important things you can learn to do in Photoshop. With accurate selections and masks, you can completely control the placement and movement of all the elements of your image, or copy an object from one photo to another.

But making good selections and masks can also be one of the most time-consuming processes in Photoshop. And we take for granted what our eyes can easily see, yet a program usually cannot recognize without our involvement. But in 2018, Adobe introduced a new one-click feature in Photoshop (see original video below) that gives you a big head start in this regard: Select Subject.

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We’re on the Adobe Help Forums every day and regularly see users posting queries like “Can’t install Photoshop from the Creative Cloud” or “CC 2021 won’t download,” or “my product updates aren’t working”… It could be for the free trials or for the full paid versions.

Often the issue is related to one or the other download managers (DLM) that Adobe uses to deliver its software install­ers. Over the years and for various tools, they have used the Akamai Down­load Manager, the Adobe Down­load Assistant (ADA), the Adobe Applica­tion Manager (AAM), and now the Creative Cloud’s Desktop App.

Adobe employs these helper utilities because their downloads are usually large – multiple gigabytes – and download managers can help correct for unreliable Internet connections, and resume a download after it has been paused or unexpectedly broken.

But it turns out there can be interactions between the DLM and configurations of your computer, web browser, anti-virus software, Internet connection, Read more…

One of the biggest strengths of the Creative Cloud 2021 release is receiving a complete set of creative tools with an ongoing stream of updates included at no extra cost… We no longer have to wait years for our products to innovate and keep pace with evolving technologies; instead we receive the latest and greatest features and improvements as soon as they are ready.

Since the initial launch of CC in 2013, Adobe has regularly issued new upgrades for each individual app about once every 3-4 months, bringing new power and capabilities to all subscribers.

Normally the Creative Cloud works seamlessly with these ongoing product updates… The CC Desktop App runs quietly in the System Tray and notifies the customer that a new upgrade is avail­able for any of the included applications like Photoshop CC, and (optionally whenever desired) the user clicks one button to auto­matically download and install the update in the back­ground.

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